This invention relates to the field of coil stops for use with railroad cars having troughs for transporting heavy cylindrical objects such as, for example, coils of rolled sheet metal.
Railroad coil cars are used to transport coiled materials, most typically coils of steel sheet. Coils can be carried with their coiling axes of rotation (that is, the axes of rotation about which the coils are wound) oriented longitudinally, that is, parallel to the rolling direction of the car. The coils are generally carried in a trough. A coil car may have single, double or triple longitudinally extending troughs in a trough structure. The troughs are generally V-shaped and have inwardly inclined surfaces that support the coil. The trough structure may be mounted on a flat car deck or suspended between two side beams and further supported by a centre sill.
When a coil sits in a trough, the circumference of the coil is tangent to the V at two points such that the coil is prevented from rolling. One railroad requirement has been for a restraining device, called a coil stop, to prevent longitudinal displacement of the loaded coils. Typically, a coil stop is a transversely oriented beam, or movable bulkhead, located in position across the trough after a coil has been loaded. The coil stop extends between the side beams and can be moved to a location near to a seated coil. The coil stop is then releasably, or removably anchored, typically with pins that locate in perforated strips mounted to the side beams. Typically, shims are then inserted between the coil stop and the coil to give a snug fit.
Coils of steel sheet carried in a coil car are generally very heavy. Consequently, coil stops for restraining the longitudinal movement of these coils must be of considerable strength and are typically made of steel. Thus, coil stops may be relatively heavy as well.
The same coil stop may be used for restraining coils of different lengths. This is possible because a coil stop is movable and is repositioned near the end of a seated coil each time the coil is loaded. Repositioning a heavy coil stop by hand inside the trough structure may require considerable manual effort. It would be advantageous to provide a coil stop having features tending to facilitate repositioning more easily from place to place along the trough, or troughs, of the coil car. Resting a coil stop on rollers or sliders may tend to be helpful in this regard.
Although resting a coil stop on rollers or sliders may facilitate repositioning of the coil stop, the weight of the coil stop can cause excessive wear and tear to rollers or sliders supporting the weight. When the railcar moves along a railroad track, any vertical vibration of the railcar is imparted to the coil stop, causing it to tend to vibrate vertically relative to the railcar. The downward load of the coil stop may tend to be delivered to the weight-bearing surface of the railcar through rollers or sliders, which have a relatively concentrated contact area. This concentrated load introduces additional wear to both the weight supporting rollers or sliders attached to the coil stop, and to the weight-bearing surface on the railcar. To reduce this wear, it may be desirable to keep such rollers or sliders in a retracted position so that they are free of contact with the weight-bearing surface when a coil car is in motion, while permitting the weight of the stationary coil stop to be borne by other structure.
Once a coil stop is repositioned near a seated coil, the stationary coil stop may be releasably anchored in position using an engagement strip. Such an engagement strip can be mounted on a side beam to extend laterally inboard of the side beam. It is generally desirable to trim the coil stop engagement strip back to increase the capacity of the trough structure. Horizontal pins may be used to engage a side strip mounted to the side of a side beam. Alternatively vertical pins may be used to engage a horizontal strip placed on the side beam.
Further, the bottom of the trough may provide a walkway space. When the bottom of the trough is used as a walkway, it may be advantageous for the coil stop to be provided with climbing means, such as a step, or stile, and handgrabs.
In an aspect of the invention, there is a coil stop for a railroad coil car. The coil car has a trough structure in which to carry coils. The trough structure has two sides and a longitudinal dimension. The coil stop has a first member for blocking motion of the coils, a releasable securement fitting connected to the first member, and at least one transport fitting connected to the first member. The first member is repositionable along the trough structure. The securement fitting is operable to locate the first member relative to the trough structure. The transport fitting is movable between a first position and a second position relative to the first member. In the first position, the transport fitting engages the trough structure and supports a greater portion of the weight of the coil stop than in the second position, and the first member has less resistance to longitudinal motion relative to the trough structure than when the transport fitting is in the second position.
In a feature of this aspect of the invention, the transport fitting includes a load bearing member of load bearing members selected from the group consisting of a roller, a slider, a wheel with a bearing, and ball caster. The load bearing member is connected to the first member and is moveable between a first position corresponding to the first position of the transport fitting and a second position corresponding to the second position of the transport fitting. Furthermore, the load bearing member is operable to travel along the trough structure and bears a greater portion of the weight of the coil stop in the first position than in the second position. Optionally, the load bearing member may be a slider, or a roller. In a further feature, the load bearing member is disengaged from the trough structure in the second position.
In an alternative further feature, the transport fitting further includes a cam movably mounted to the first member, an actuator mechanically connected to move the cam, a cam follower mounted to the first member at a pivot point, and an arm connecting the cam follower and the load bearing member. The cam follower is operable to engage the cam and to pivot about the pivot point, the actuator is operable to move the cam, and the cam follower is driven by the actuator to urge the load bearing member to move toward the first position.
In an additional feature, the transport fitting further includes a shaft which has a first end and a second end. The shaft is mounted to the first member. The first end has the cam attached thereto. The actuator is a handle fixed to the shaft. The handle is operable to rotate the shaft to urge the load bearing member to move toward the first position. In a still additional feature, the first member includes a beam member for spanning the trough structure. The beam member has two ends and a medial portion extending between these two ends. A step is mounted to the medial portion of the beam member between the two ends to facilitate climbing of the coil stop.
In a further feature, the step may include a tread plate mounted upon the medial portion of the beam member. In an alternative further feature, a hand grab may be mounted to the medial portion of the beam member adjacent to the step. In a still further feature, the hand grab is the handle fixed to the shaft. In yet another alternative further feature, a pair of hand grabs are mounted to either side of the step. In another feature, the transport fitting is biased by gravity toward the second position. In yet another feature of this aspect of the invention, the transport fitting includes a spring biasing the transport fitting toward the second position. In still another feature of this aspect of the invention, the securement fitting includes at least one indexing member mounted to the first member. The indexing member is engageable to maintain the coil stop in a fixed position relative to the trough structure. In yet another alternative feature of this aspect of the invention, the first member spans the trough structure. The first member has two ends, each of which has a transport fitting connected thereto.
In another aspect of the invention, there is a coil stop for a railroad coil car. The coil car has a trough structure in which to carry coils. The trough structure has two sides and a longitudinal dimension. The coil stop includes a first member for blocking motion of the coils along the trough structure, a releasable securement fitting connected to the first member, operable to locate the first member relative to the trough structure, and at least one transport fitting connected to the first member. The first member is mounted spunwise relative to the trough structure and is repositionable along the trough structure. The transport fitting includes a roller connected to the first member. The roller is movable between a first position and a second position relative to the first member. In the first position the roller is operable to ride longitudinally on the trough structure, and supports a greater portion of weight of the first member when in the first position than when in the second position.
In a feature of this aspect of the invention, the first member spanning the trough structure has two ends, each of which has a transport fitting and a securement fitting connected thereto. In an alternative feature, the transport fitting further includes a cam movably mounted to the first member, an actuator mechanically connected to move the cam, a cam follower mounted to the first member at a pivot point, and an arm connecting the cam follower and the load bearing member. The cam follower is operable to engage the cam and to pivot about the pivot point, the actuator is operable to move the cam, and the cam follower is driven by the actuator to urge the load bearing member to move toward the first position.
In a further feature, the transport fitting further includes a shaft which has a first end and a second end. The shaft is mounted to the first member. The first end has the cam attached thereto. The activator is a handle fixed to the shaft. The handle is operable to rotate the shaft to urge the load bearing member to move toward the first position.
In another further feature, the first member includes a beam member for spanning the trough structure. The beam member has two ends and a medial portion extending between these two ends. A step is mounted to the medial portion of the beam member between the two ends to facilitate climbing over the coil stop. Optionally, the step may include a tread plate mounted upon the medial portion of the beam member. As another option, a hand grab may be mounted to the medial portion of the beam member adjacent to the step, or a pair of hand grabs may be mounted to either side of the step. As a further option, the handle fixed to the shaft may be used as the hand grab.
In another aspect of the invention, there is a combination of a rail road coil car and a coil stop for use in combination therewith. The coil car has a trough structure for carrying coils. The trough structure is supported for rail car trucks for rolling motion along a rail road track. The coil stop is mounted across the trough and has retractable rollers. The retractable rollers is operable to engage the trough structure and to facilitate repositioning of the coil stop along the trough structure.
In a feature of this aspect of the invention, the coil stop has an actuator connected to a first position in which the rollers engage the trough structure. In a further feature, the rollers are biased away from the first position. In a still further feature, the rollers are biased by gravity. In an alternative feature, the coil stop has a releasable securement fitting operable to locate the coil stop in a fixed position relative to the trough structure. In another feature, the coil stop has a mid-span handle connected to move the retractable rollers to an engaged position relative to the trough structure. In a further feature, the coil stop has a step mounted thereon. In a still further feature, the step is mounted adjacent to the handle. In yet another alternative feature of this aspect of the invention, the trough structure has a central walkway extending longitudinally with respect thereto.
In another aspect of the invention, there is a combination of a rail road coil car and a coil stop for use therewith. The coil car has a trough structure in which to carry coils. The trough structure has a first side, a second side and a longitudinal dimension. The coil stop has a first member mounted in a spanning position relative to the trough structure, for blocking motion of the coils along the trough structure. The first member is repositionable along the trough structure. There is a securement fitting operable to locate the first member relative to the structure, a track mounted to the trough structure, and a track following member connected to the first member in the first position. The track extends along the trough structure and is to bear at least a portion of the weight of the coil stop. The track following member is operable to ride on the track, and is movable between a first position and a second position relative to the first member. The track following member supports a greater portion of the weight of the first member when the track following member is in the first position than when the track following member is in the second position. In the first position of the track following member, the coil stop has less resistance to motion along the trough structure than when the track following member is in the second position.
In a feature of this aspect of the invention, the first portion further includes a cam movably mounted to the first member, an actuator mechanically connected to move the cam, a cam follower mounted to the first member at a pivot point and an arm connecting the cam follower and the track following member. The cam follower is operable to engage the cam and to pivot about the pivot point, the actuator is operable to move the cam, and the cam follower is driven by the actuator to urge the track following member to move toward the first position.
In an additional feature, the first portion further includes a shaft. The shaft is mounted to the first member and has a first end and a second end. The first end has the cam attached thereto. The actuator is a handle fixed to the shaft. The handle is operable to rotate the shaft to urge the track following member to move toward the first position.
In yet another aspect of the invention, there is a combination of a rail road coil car and a coil step for use therewith. The coil car has a trough structure in which to carry coils. The trough structure has a first side, a second side and a longitudinal dimension. The coil stop has a beam member spanning the trough structure, and is repositionable along the trough structure to obstruct motion of coils along the trough structure. There are a first trackway and a second trackway, each trackway mounted on each side of the trough structure for guiding the repositioning of the coil stop. The beam member has two ends and a medial portion between these two ends. There are a first pair of rollers and a second pair of rollers. Each pair of rollers is connected to each end of the beam member. The first pair of rollers is movable between a first position and a second position relative to the first trackway. The second pair of rollers is movable relative to the second trackway between a first position corresponding to the first position of the first pair of rollers and a second position corresponding to the second position of the first pair of rollers. In the first position, the first pair of rollers is operable to travel along the first trackway and to bear a greater portion of weight of the beam member than when the first pair of rollers is in the second position, and the second pair of rollers is operable to travel along the second trackway and to bear a greater portion of weight of the beam member than in the second position. There is a shaft having a first end and a second end. The shaft extends between the two ends of the beam member and is rotatably mounted to the beam member. There are a first cam attached to the first end of the shaft and a second cam attached to the second end of the shaft. There are a first pair of cam followers mounted to the beam member and operable to engage the first cam and a second pair of cam followers mounted to the beam member and operable to engage the second cam. Additionally, there are a first pair of arms connecting the first pair of cam followers to the first pair of rollers and a second pair of arms connecting the second pair of cam followers to the second pair of rollers. The first pair of arms is operable to urge the first pair of rollers to move between the first and second positions, and the second pair of arms is operable to urge the second pair of rollers to move between the first and second positions. There is also a handle fixed to the shaft. The handle is operable to rotate the shaft to urge the rollers to move between the first and second positions. Finally, there are a pair of first indexing members mounted to the first and second ends of the beam member and a pair of second indexing members mounted to the first and second sides of the trough structure. The indexing members are cooperable to maintain the beam member in a fixed position relative to the trough structure.
In a feature of this aspect of the invention, there is a step mounted on the medial portion of the beam member between the two ends, whereby to facilitate climbing over the beam member.